Cup rack



June 10, 1952 M. s. COOPER ET AL 2,600,096

CUP RACK Filed Feb. 7, 1946 x i Lo 17 a1 a? Patenied June 10, 1952 CUP RACK Miles S. Cooper, St. Paul, and Earl L. Berg, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application February 7, 1946, Serial No. 645,979

2 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to an improvement in cup rack, wherein it is desired to provide a simple and attractive rack for supporting cups or the like.

Because of the fact that most cups are provided with handles projecting therefrom, these cups do not nest efiiciently when placed one upon the other. As a result considerable shelf space is required to support a relatively small number of cups. In order to prevent this difficulty hooks are sometimes provided on the lowermost surface of the shelves from which the cups may be suspended by their handles. It is somewhat difiicult to hang cups properly upon these hooks and as the cups are free to swing, damage by chipping or cracking is likely to occur, unless the cups are spaced a substantial distance apart.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient means of supporting cups where they will require no shelf space and a minimum of room. This we accomplish by providing racks suspended beneath shelves in a cupboard or the like into which the cups may slide. As a result the cups may be conveniently stored in a space usually unoccupied in the average cupboard or cabinet.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of spaced slides upon which the upper edge of the cup may rest in inverted position, and a means of supporting these slides beneath a shelf or ledge. By spacing the slide guides apart, a space is left between the guides for accommodation of the cup handles.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cup rack which holds the cups inverted closely adjacent the under-surface of a shelf or ledge so that dust or dirt can not readily accumulate thereupon. The bottoms of the cups are close to the under-surface of the shelf supporting the rack and therefore are in the path of a minimum amount of circulating dust.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rack which is suspended from the under-surface of a shelf or the like and which is capable of supporting cups so that they may be easily and quickly removed. By providing spaced slides or guides for supporting the cups, each cup may be inserted or removed from beneath the rack by grasping the edge of the cup or the handle thereof and sliding the same longitudinally of the rack.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an extensible rack which may be varied in length to better fit shelves of varying depths. This extension is so arranged that the edges of the cup can not well be chipped or cracked by engagement between the cup edges and the joint between the two extensible sections of the rack.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rack having an extension on one end thereof which is shorter in length than the diameter of the rim of the cup being supported. This extensible section is arranged in telescoping relation with the body of the rack in such a manner that the sliding guides of the extension are beneath the level of the slide guides of the body of the rack. As a result a portion of each cup supported rests upon the slides of the body portion of the rack, thereby preventing chi-pping of the cup by engagement with the joint-between the two rack sections.

These and other objects and novel features of our invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of our specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our cup rack showing the construction thereof.

Figure 2 is an end view of the rack showing the manner in which the rack is supported from a shelf or ledge.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the two parts of the rack in disassembled form.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of rack construction.

The rack A illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings comprises a pair of angle members Ill and II arranged in substantially parallel relation. The angle members Ill and H include bottom flanges 12 and [3, respectively, upon which the edges of the cups B may rest. The angle members It and I I also include side flanges l4 and I5, respectively, for engagement with the side edges of the cup or the cup rim to hold the cups from lateral movement in the rack. The slides Ill and II are of suflicient length to permit a plurality of cups B to be supported thereupon, and can be of somewhat greater length than is illustrated to hold a greater number of cups.

An inverted U-shaped supporting connection It is provided near one end of the slides I9 and II, and a similar supporting member ll is provided near the rear end of. the slides l0 and II. In the construction illustrated these supporting members 16 and H include vertical parallel sides ;l9 and 20 and a top connecting member 2| connecting the upper extremities of the side members l9 and 20. The lower ends of these side members are connected to the side flanges of the slides i and H. The side members H] are terminally connected to the flange M of the slide it, while the side members are terminally connected to the side members 15 of the slide H.

In the construction illustrated the supports 16 and H :are iorm'e'd of wire or similar material and are provided with loops 22 therein intermediate the ends of the top members 2| for accommodation of screws 22' or other suitable means for holding the rack A to a shelf such as C.

The construction above described comprises the body portion 23 of the shelf A. "E'achsuch body portion is preferably provided with'an extension member illustrated -:in general by the numeral 24 and best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The extension 24 comprises a pair of angle members :25iand 2.5. :Eachzcomprises a:substan- 'tiall-y "horizontalbottomrflangeihand- 29,-respe'ctively, 'anda-fsideifiange 530 hand-3|, respectively. The bottom rflanges :21 and 29 are izdesigneii :to underlie the end portions of therbotto'm'ilanges f2 and 13 "of theanglermember l'D-Iand .the .zangle member 1 l, :and to-sextendiinttelescopingsrelation therewith. 'Thesidetflanges 3D and :31 are :de-

signedfto lie voutwardlytofithei sideifianges aid 'and I 15' of the tangle members :o'fithe .bodyiportiontand to overlap thebody;portionsan adjustable amount.

.Elongatedssldts '32-:and 33 are .zprovided in the side "flanges 13D :andI 3| Aperture -4iandc35 are provided in the flanges l ds-and tl=5;near-:one -:end

thereof. LBO'IES'IOIIOthGEESIIitBIbIB connecting means 3'3 may .extend throughzthecapertiires 34 :35

a length relativeizto'athe'widthzof theirack soithat a cup B cannot:rest:entirelyrnpomthesextension zeveniwhen the rack isz'inrfully-exteriddeposition. The purpose'forzthisrarralngementliestinxthe fact that the flanges l2 and 13 of the boidyi'portioneare slightlyaaboveithel level'iofiltheiilangesiii'l sand 29 of the *exte'nsionr-Zd.

Asxarresultif a "cup :rested entirely upon the extension, movement of the cup forwardlyalongethe rack-would cause th'e rim of the cup to engage against-therear ends of the flanges l2"and L1 3. .Inordertolprevent-in- 'jury to the "cups, itnhas lbeenfound i 'desirablm that the forwardie'dge of itheirearmost cup:r'est partially upon "the. flanges 5 t2 land i 3.

The angle members 25 and Z-Gof-the extension 24"are connected byzanr'endistrip fl. iThis -strip 31 holds'the angles 25::and 25fin'eproper'relation 5 and acts. as an abutment-#00.limitimovement -of the cups in the rack.

In Figure 4 of the draWi-ngsywefliscldsezamodified form'of construction-which'iis quite similar to that. previouslyi'de'scribed. Thesrack' D, Eillu'strated in Figure :4, is rdesigned formanufacture entirely fromrsheet"materialfior plastic. The rack D comprises a pair of spacediangles tll and lll including bottom flanges 1-H and M2 and-side fianges'43 and'f'M. Integrallyrex-tending.aupwai d straps and t5 project upwardly from the side flanges "43 and 48 at intervals throughout the lengths of the sangles. Obviously two or -=more sets. of projectionsrfi and-i6".areiusuallydesirable for supporting the track. shitegrahconnecting "flange 56' or 57.

4 strips 4! connect the upper extremities of the projections 45 and 46 to hold the angles 39 and 40 in proper spaced relation.

One or more apertures 49 are provided in each strip 41' to accommodate screws or other fastening means by which the rack may be secured, and suspended from a shelf such as C. The manner in which the rack is Supportedis similar to that described-in connectiomwith the rack A.

The body portion 50 of the rack'thus described is preferably provided with an extension, indicated in general by the numeral 5!. The extension 5! includes spaced angles 52 and 53, each including a bottom flange 54 or 55 and a side wall The angles 52 and 53 are connected by a rear connecting strap 59 which holds .theangles-in proper relationship. The angles 52 and 53 are designed to embrace portions of the ends of the angles 4i and 42, as illustrated.

The extension 5| is slidably connected to the srack :body 53in :any suitable way :such asjihas been illustrated in :connection "with the crack .15, orrsuclrasisillustrated in Figure .4. jln'Figure'e, we disclose a rib 60 on each of the side wall flanges :43 and "Ali projecting longitudinally :from the exterior surface thereof. lThejside walls 56 and'5'ltoi-the angles 52 arid-553 :of the-extension are 1 each provided with a :groove ".6! :extending longitudinally thereof for accommodation ofithe rib :68. Thus fit will she seen-that the extension :may :be :sl-idably adjusted :reia'tive ttothethody iportioniil.

The extension .50 may begaldjusted .within acer- :tain zsafe 'limits and --while :no means .Iis .zshown limiting =:the extension, suchmeansis notientirely-eessential,-as= wheniin place therrearend of the rack :usuallyabutsm :oabinet wall. .Acoordingly- .once the rackisin placerno :fu-rther :extension thereofris possible. The-extension 5| isso arranged that itmay not safely .Support':an.:en- .tire :cup; requiring that atleastaportionofzthe rim-of "the .-cup. restupon :the. angles M 2andi42. As a resultthere is'noodanger ,ofzchippingithe .eup bysliding the rim thereof intorengagement .with the rear ends-of the angles.e39:and:40.

In accordance with the patent;statutes, we have-described the principles :oflconstructidn-tmd operation of ouneup rack; and While we-have :endeavored .to set forth the bestembodimentthereof, we Id'ES'iIFG' liO have it understood-that obvious changes :may .be made .within the ;scope of Zthe following :claims without alepartialg from ithe spiritofour-invention.

We claim:

-1. A-1-cup rack-includinga ;p.air: ofispaced aopeposedlangle members, iihfiFSDfiGBdLEIHQlB members forming aslot. therebetweennpeniat one end,:inverted :substantially iUr-sliapeds oonnectingxmem- Jeersv connecting. thessides of said-angle members. said connecting; members including:-substantially -=paiza-llel-sides and a bridging portion extending therebetween, said sides being secured to said angle -'imembers .=and .ubeing substantially in the :plane-iith'ereof, said ibridging portiolr having =aperture means therethrough, anda-stri-p at the end opposite: said open end of -said angle members connectingithezsame.

.-2. =A 'icup rack: including a pair of spaced-' 0p... :posed :angle members having --vertical paral-lel flanges and .ucoplanar "horizontal flanges, -'-the 's-paced angle members -forming a slot therebetween open at one end; inverted U-Shapedconn'ectingf members connecting said angle members ats'spaced pointsthroughout their length, said connecting membershaving parallel-sides and a connecting portion, said sides being secured to Number Name Date the outer surfaces of the vertical flanges of said 1,583,295 Larsen May 4, 1926 angle members and substantially coplanar there- 1,703,987 Butler Mar. 5, 1929 with, the bases of said connecting portion having 1,754,020 Hyde Apr. 8, 1930 aperture means therethrough. 5 1,925,540 Neuschotz Sept. 5, 1933 MILES S. COOPER. 2,138,418 Fahrne Nov. 29, 1938 EARL L. BERG. 2,327,379 Thomas Aug. 24, 1943 2,370,455 Eng Feb. 27, 1945 h u RElE:tENCES CITED d m m FOREIGN PATENTS m: :f iifigfigtgeerences are 0 recor m e Number Country Date 101,931 Australia Aug. 26, 1937 N TED TA A E TS 518,117 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1940 Number Name Date 1,369,902 Miller et a1. Mar. 1, 1921 1 

